I Got Screwed by 21st Century Insurance

"I don't want you to deal with this if it's going to increase my premiums. I wouldn't have even called, but this woman and her mom are getting on my last nerve. They keep showing up at my house if I don't return their call within fifteen minutes!" I had hoped I'd be able to take care of the situation on my own. I hadn't taken into consideration a 23-year-old woman and her mother acting like I was a shady character in their melodrama.

The voice on the other end of the phone was soothing. "Don't worry. This is what we're here for. We'll take care of it for you."

"Is it going to increase my premiums?"

"I'm not sure, but looking at your record with us...you've been with us for almost ten years with no accidents or incidents. You're a good driver. If it does increase, it will be nominal."

"Are you sure? Because honestly, it was a fender bender with a parked car. I can take care of it on my own. I just don't want to deal with those two anymore. You'd think me leaving a note on her windshield afterwards was the right thing to do."

"It was absolutely the right thing to do."

"Right? I mean, I could have been an asshole and just driven away. But I put a note on the windshield and do want to get the dent out of her car."

"Don't worry about a thing. We'll take care of it for you." This is why I have insurance. To pay for accidents, to take care of the paperwork, to give me peace of mind.

"Thank you so much," I replied, relieved. I hung up the phone and went to Facebook where I wrote a glowing review of 21st Century's customer service. My eyes glanced at other, less glowing, comments from insurers who claimed to have had their premiums doubled after an accident. They must not be telling the whole story, I thought.

Yes. That is what we call foreshadowing.

Because this morning, I woke up and, as one does when one is a single mom on a decidedly tight budget, checked my balance. I choked on my tea and did a double take.

The numbers weren't adding up properly. I clicked on account activity and saw an amount withdrawn for my insurance payment that was decidedly not my typical payment. My fingers raced over the keyboard until I logged into my account. There was my policy. I scrolled down, looking at the bottom line dollar figure, divided it by twelve - as I had when I first received the renewal - and wrinkled my brow. It didn't add up to what was taken out.

So I called customer service. After all, I'd always had amazing service and I'm sure they could help iron this whole thing out.

A half hour later, I hung up the phone shaking with anger.

21st Century Insurance had double my premiums.

Doubled.

Apparently, the fact that I'd had 23 years with no accidents and had been with their company for nearly a decade, with one minor fender bender I was deemed a "bad driver" and my premium was doubled.

Trying to placate the angry woman dropping f-bombs while assuring him they were not directed at him as a person but at the company as a whole, the customer service agent told me that in three years my premiums would drop again.

Even with my somewhat shaky math skills I was able to ascertain that in three years I would be paying almost twice what the dent cost to repair.

"Did you see it on your policy renewal?"

No. I didn't. Silly me. I thought it was an annual renewal. and just looked at the bottom line figure and divided it by twelve. Since, you know, in the past when speaking to agents they spoke in annual terms.

"We notified you of the increase."

Yes. Of course you did. In small type on page three of a ridiculously long policy. My bad for not reading it with a fine tooth comb and an attorney. My bad for trusting the company to notify me in a letter specifically addressing the increase rather than burying it in the policy renewal.

In my simple mind, I think of insurance in much the same way as I did when Mr. Mahoney explained it to us in the sixth grade.

You pay insurance as a sort of "bank" to cover your financial obligations if something bad happens.

Insurance companies make money by gambling that nothing will happen.

If something does, they cover you. In the past ten years, I've paid 21st Century Insurance over $10,000.

Ten THOUSAND dollars. (Well, to be honest, it's probably more than that considering for much of that time there were two cars on their policy as well as two drivers.)

I've paid them that money in good faith, knowing if I was in an accident or needed a repair, they would use that money to pay for it. And they did.

But, apparently, with $9,000 left in my "bank", they felt the need to increase my premiums to pay them over $6,000 over the next three years.

I understand my knowledge of insurance rates, premiums, and policies is rather elementary. Still, I'm having a really hard time understanding a company doubling my rates after one fender bender. I am now being charged more than someone with two DUI's on her record.

Because that makes total sense in Insurance World.

I'm livid.

It takes a lot to get me livid.

Also, I'm looking for a new insurance carrier. Any recommendations?